Connecting Hearts and Hands with Peru: Drinking Water and Water Purification Classes

In Paita, Peru, water is obtained from the Piura River, about 35 miles from Paita. The water plant chlorinates the river water, just as Milwaukee chlorinates Lake Michigan water to provide Milwaukee County with drinking water.

Piura River Provides Water to Many Municipalities

River Water is Treated by the
Water Plant in Piura

Map of Water Plants in the State of Piura

In May, 2015, St. Paul Parish and Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) installed 25 water purifiers in Paita, Peru. After one year of trialing the Berkey Purification Systems, Sister Monica asked for more systems because the people feel it's easy to use and maintain. Each system will provide 6,000 gallons of purified water for each family receiving a system.

St. Paul Parish had enough money in their budget to provide another 50 systems. Thanks to all of our donors who made this possible. Each system requires two buckets and covers, two Berkey filters, and one spigot.

Supplies Needed to Assemble a System

In our community here in Wisconsin, if we need supplies, we get in our car or truck and drive only miles down the street to pick up our supplies. The sisters do not have it that easy. First of all, they don't own a working vehicle. They own a 1984 Bronco and it hasn't worked in years because parts are unavailable. The buckets were purchased at a bucket supplier in Piura, Peru, about 38 miles from Paita. The sisters had to hire a driver and rent a vehicle large enough to transport the 100 buckets pictured below.

100 Buckets and Covers

What do we do with 100 buckets, 100 covers and 50 water Berkey filters? That's where Miranda S. came into the picture. Miranda, Charlie's daughter, asked if she could take over this project while in Peru. Before she left for Peru, she investigated how the system worked, how to make each system and modified the instruction that existed from the team last year. Deb P. worked with Miranda and Emily D., our two very enthusiastic and over-achieving youth, to drill holes, assemble, clean, and test each system. They also had to correct any problems they discovered. For example, several buckets had hairline cracks, those buckets were defective and had to be replaced with working buckets.

Counting the Inventory of Buckets and Covers

Miranda Drilling Holes into
Buckets and Covers

Emily Labeling Outside Buckets

Miranda Cleaning Buckets
After Drilling Holes

Miranda Inserting Filters and
Testing Each System

Assembling One System

After all systems were assembled, tested and working properly, Miranda and Charlie trained 38 people on how to assemble and maintain each system. There were three training sessions on Monday, hours before leaving for our drive to Piura to take our flight home. Charlie also trained each group on basis skills to prevent cross-contaminating food and water, washing hands, how to use chlorine and iodine to clean food and water, etc.

Forty-three systems were promised to families in some very impoverished communities. After these families receive their system and use them for a short time, a community representative will follow-up with each family. Sister Paula heads this project and works directly with the leaders in the community. For those that didn't make it to training, Sr. Paula or the leaders will train those not attending the training. There are seven systems that will be given to other families in the future.